Life in its fullness

The people of the Old Testament were in contact with other civilizations, so their beliefs and perspectives were influenced by those cultures. This explains the importance they placed on blood, which they considered to be the bearer of life.

Blood means life.

This concept first appears in the Bible in the episode of Cain and Abel, who cry out for revenge for Abel's death. Blood signifies life and, therefore, should only be offered to God, who is the sole Lord of life; drinking blood means assuming the role of God, who is the giver of life, hence the prohibition against drinking blood.

This meaning is taken to the extreme, so that if an animal kills a person, the animal must be punished for having shed another's blood, and it cannot be eaten because it is contaminated, for it has placed itself in the place of God.

The members of a tribe share the same blood, and if the blood of any of its members is spilled, the closest relative must take charge of the punishment and revenge, paying back in kind, since the spilling was an offense to the entire group.

Blood and sacrifice in the Old Testament

Ancient sacrifices were bloodless, without the shedding of blood. Therefore, they offered fruits, vegetables, etc., to God.

But there were sacrifices where there was a victim, an animal, and through these sacrifices God blessed the people:

The person offering the sacrifice would place their hands on the animal's head to indicate that the offering was theirs, and then slaughter the animal.

The priest would slaughter the animal only on the Day of Atonement, bring the blood into the presence of the Lord, and pour it out on the altar or sanctuary.

• Part of the meat is burned on the altar, indicating that it has been offered to God, and the part that is not burned is used for a sacred meal.

Whoever killed the animal had to do so far from the altar, and while it was bleeding, it could not be handed over to the priest.

• The person offering the sacrifice places their hands on the animal, and the priest pours the blood onto the altar, indicating that the one who offered the sacrifice has come into contact with God.

The blood of the Passover Lamb

On Easter night, the lintel of the door was sprinkled with the blood of the Passover Lamb, indicating that the blood protected against the plague of Egyptian extermination, delivered from evil, and that the people inside the house celebrating Passover belonged to God.

Commitments for life:

1. We should not take anyone's life, for it belongs to God, through our criticism, murmuring, violence of any kind, or false testimony.
2.  If the Paschal Lamb offered his Blood (his Life) for all, we must give everything for others: our time, our listening, our solidarity and acceptance, and even our own blood, so that they may live happily.
3.  Every time we enter into communion with the Body and Blood of Jesus, it should not be to fulfill a mandate or routine, but rather to accept Jesus' lifestyle, to seek to live as He lived, and to commit ourselves to freeing people who are far from God from evil, so that they may return to Him.

   (Fr. Paulino, CPPS)